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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24551887">Holiday Cheer</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/ami_ven/pseuds/ami_ven'>ami_ven</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Christmas, F/M, Gift Fic, Implied Relationships</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 08:49:25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>402</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24551887</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/ami_ven/pseuds/ami_ven</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>“I did bring you presents.  Can I come in?”</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Angel/Buffy Summers</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>19</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Holiday Cheer</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Written as a (very, very) late Christmas present for LJ user "nakeisha"</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Buffy woke to a soft tapping at her window.  She got up and opened the curtain, then smiled.</p>
<p>“You’re a little skinny to be Santa,” she said, teasingly.  “And doesn’t he usually come down the chimney?”</p>
<p>Angel smiled.  “Well, I did bring you presents.  Can I come in?”</p>
<p>“Of course.  But I thought you were going to be out of town for Christmas?”</p>
<p>“I am, I’m just stopping by.”</p>
<p>“But you can stay for a few minutes, right?” Buffy asked.  “For a little Christmas cheer?”</p>
<p>He smiled again.  “That’s just what I came to bring you.”</p>
<p>Angel set his backpack on her desk chair and pulled out an unlabeled bottle of red liquid, along with two glasses.</p>
<p>“That’s not…?” Buffy said, warily.</p>
<p>“Of course not.  It’s mulled wine.”</p>
<p>“Need I remind you that I’m underage?”</p>
<p>“It’s barely alcohol.  When I was a boy, children much younger than you would drink it.”</p>
<p>“Oh,” she said, softly.  “You, um, you don’t talk about your past much.  Or at all.”</p>
<p>Angel uncorked the bottle.  “It was a long time ago, and most of it I’d rather forget.  But Christmas…  everyone made a little more effort.  I mean, it was a <i>much</i> simpler holiday back then, but there were a few things I do want to remember.”</p>
<p>He poured a small amount of wine in each glass, then held one out to her.  Buffy took a cautious sip – and smiled.</p>
<p>“This is really good!  Sweet and spicy, it’s like Christmas in a glass.”</p>
<p>“More?” Angel offered.</p>
<p>“Just a little.”</p>
<p>“I’m glad you like it.  Took me six tries to get the spices and honey to balance right.”</p>
<p>Buffy looked at her glass again.  “You <i>made</i> this?”</p>
<p>“I’m a vampire of many talents.”</p>
<p>She smiled.  “And always full of surprises.  Oh!  We should have some holiday music.  Where is… Ah!”</p>
<p>Soft instrumental music filled the room, and she set her CD player on the windowsill.  Angel smiled.  “This doesn’t seem like your usual style.”</p>
<p>“’Tis the season.”  They smiled for a moment, then Buffy said, softly, “Would you tell me about Christmas, when you were little?”</p>
<p>He let out a long breath.  “It’ll be nice to think about it again.”</p>
<p>Angel sat on the floor, leaning against the foot of her bed, and held out a hand.  Buffy settled under his arm, sipping her wine.</p>
<p>“One year,” Angel began, “I must have been about four…”</p>
<p>THE END</p>
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